Permission to excavate raw materials was granted on 16 July 2012, but this was preceded by many years of research and thinking about the project. In 2009, exploratory drilling was conducted, along with analyses to document the occurrence and quality of the raw materials buried in the area. The re-landscaping plan for the area was prepared concurrently with this work. Re-landscaping will be carried out simultaneously with the excavation work, and must be completed no later than one year after excavation has ceased.
Comprehensive archaeological excavations uncovered post holes, pottery fragments and other artefacts belonging to an abandoned medieval village, as well as traces of a Danish Iron Age settlement. In addition, a Bronze Age ‘Celtic axe’ and a very rare duck-shaped bronze object were discovered. The excavation work was carried out by Odense City Museums.
BG Stone, currently the largest privately held raw materials operator in Denmark, signed an agreement with Bramstrup covering a multi-stage raw materials excavation and re-landscaping project. Planned motorway extensions on the island of Funen and the major building projects being undertaken in Odense created a need for a gravel pit close to Odense and with convenient motorway access, which would minimise CO2 emissions associated with the various projects.